


Watch Me (Work it Out)

by Vashti (tvashti)



Series: Watch Me [3]
Category: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Tin Man (2007)
Genre: 2016 Twisted Shorts Ficathon, Gen, Gen Work, Post-Exile, Women Growing Into Awesomeness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-21
Updated: 2016-09-21
Packaged: 2018-08-16 11:59:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 750
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8101591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tvashti/pseuds/Vashti
Summary: It almost felt like their early days in exile at Fin Aqua, but with none of the anxiousness that sent her fingers clutching at something to hide their shaking.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Twisting the Hellmouth 2016 Twisted Shorts Ficathon.

Oz watched the seated Princess from a safe distance away. As her magic had returned, her spacial awareness had grown considerably. Although she knew his presence as well as her own, Oz knew that his sudden intrusion into her sphere of her awareness would startle her out of whatever she was seeing beyond the horizon.

The second of the OZ's two suns would soon be setting, but the overcast sky had brought a soft gray twilight early. It had been a soft, murky sort of day all day, prompting people everywhere to dig out long sleeved shirts and shawls all around town. Similarly, the Princess had been vague and unfocused most of the day. It had almost felt like their early days in exile at Fin Aqua, but with none of the anxiousness that had sent her fingers fluttering and clutching at something to hide their shaking. 

Whatever preyed on Princess Azkadellia's mind today, it had pulled her far far away. That morning, when he'd gone to her room and found her half-dressed and staring at her mostly unkempt and still sleep-wild reflection, Oz had almost gone back to his room for his guitar. Music had long since been an anchor for her heart. Then she'd met his eyes through the glass. "How much time do we have before soundcheck?" 

It had been 11am. "Depending on how much makeup you're willing to sit through, five hours."

"I'll do my own makeup."

Oz had quickly redone the math. "Okay, seven hours then."

Nodding slowly, Azkadellia had slowly reached for the hairbrush to bring her recently cut hair under control. She’d been wearing it short for almost a decade, since the second year of her exile. "Is there anything to see here?"

"If there's not, I'm sure we can find something. We make our own fun after all."

She'd smiled faintly at that, not at him, but he hadn't been looking for personal acknowledgment.

Soundcheck was still at least an hour ahead of them. Plenty of time for a wayward princess to be lost in thought. They still had to trek across town, however, having decided to explore on foot.

Oz stepped forward, knowing that she'd sense him within a couple of steps. He approached her with slow, easy confidence. She knew it was him. She knew he was safe. She knew he didn't want more from her than she could give (even if she sometimes didn't know she had it in her to share).

Stopping beside her, Oz reached down to hand her the large ceramic cup filled with coffee. Of the many Other Side innovations Queen DG had implemented, take out coffee hadn't quite made it over. Disposable culture wasn't something the OZ really believed in. Shops were willing to fill up a customer-brought cup for a slight discount. Especially, or even, for disgraced royalty. Although they tended to use the cups interchangeably, Oz's had the phases on the moon carved into one side. Azkediallia had the outline of her once-signature curls.

Most of her hair was gone now. She'd wanted to cut it short...shorter, in preparation for their tour but, with the Consort's help, Oz had convinced her to leave it long enough to hide behind. Just a little. Until she was comfortable. 

Most days she wore it all pulled up and back, exposing her face to the world.

"Thank you," she said softly, taking the cup.

Oz let his hand rest on her shoulder. She pushed into it for a moment, almost as if testing to see if he was as strong as he had promised he was all those years ago. Or maybe just acknowledging that he was there. She had changed so much, his Princess Az. He wondered if she was changing again.

"Is it time to go?" she asked.

"Not yet."

Her hair was in her face today, and when she nodded the longer front threatened to slip into the open cup. 

"We've never been this close to Central City before," he said. It was their third tour. "You okay?"

"I don't know."

Oz found himself nodding. His van was probably still in the stables. Any chance he had of going home again was probably wandering the halls within the Central Palace's walls.

Careful of the hot coffee in his hands, he dropped into a squat, and then onto the ground to sit next to the princess. He could feel her warmth through the jacket she wore. "Yeah."

They leaned into each other.

[Fin]


End file.
